Charles Dickens1812—1870

Charles Dickens was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era and considered one of the English language’s greatest writers; he was acclaimed for his rich storytelling and memorable characters, and achieved massive worldwide popularity during in his lifetime. His first full novel, The Pickwick Papers, brought him immediate fame and this continued right through his career. He maintained a high quality in all his writings and, although rarely departing greatly from his typical “Dickensian” method of always attempting to write a great “story” in a somewhat conventional manner (the dual narrators of Bleak House are a notable exception). He experimented with varied themes, characterizations and genres. Some of these experiments were more successful than others and the public’s taste and appreciation of his many works have varied over time. He was usually keen to give his readers what they wanted, and the monthly or weekly publication of his works in episodes meant that the books could change as the story proceeded at the whim of the public. (source: Wikipedia)